Utensils & kitchen tools · Tongs

Tongs

A sprung, hinged pair of arms for gripping, turning and lifting hot food.

Essential in most kitchens · Manual · 21 recipes

Photo: Sac86738 at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)

What it is

Two long metal arms joined at one end with a spring, ending in scalloped or silicone-tipped heads. Locking tongs close for storage. They act as heat-proof fingers. Short tongs serve salads; long tongs keep hands away from barbecues.

What it’s for: Moving and turning food precisely while keeping hands away from heat.

How to use it

Hold the tongs near the hinge end for best control.
Squeeze gently to grip without piercing or squashing food.
Turn food in pans, under the grill or on the barbecue.
Use separate tongs for raw and cooked meat.

Good to know

Tasks: turning steaks and sausages, tossing pasta and salads, lifting corn and boiled eggs, turning rotis over a flame, serving
Cooking methods: Grilled, Barbecued, Pan-fried, Deep-fried, Roasted, Boiled
Materials: stainless steel, silicone tips, nylon
Care and cleaning: Dishwasher-safe for most; check the spring and lock still work.
Limitations: Can tear delicate fish; scratch non-stick unless silicone-tipped.

Safety

Do not use tongs that touched raw meat on cooked food without washing them.
Metal tongs heat up if left resting on a grill.

If you don’t have one

Spatula — Plus a fork, for turning food.
Chopsticks — Long cooking chopsticks turn and lift food in frying.

Equipment guide

How it works: Two arms joined by a spring act as an extension of your fingers, giving grip without piercing food, so juices stay in. Scalloped ends grip securely; long arms keep hands away from heat.

Material	Good	Watch out
Stainless steel	Durable, non-reactive, dishwasher-safe, does not hold smells.	Can scratch non-stick pans; conducts heat, so all-metal handles get hot.
Silicone-tipped	Safe on non-stick.	Thicker tips; less precise.
Bamboo	Light; for serving and toast.	Weak for heavy food.

Locking kitchen tongs: General use, 23–30 cm.
Long grill tongs: 40 cm or more.
Tweezers (fine tongs): Plating and turning small items.
Chimta: Long flat Indian tongs for rotis on the flame.

Buying guidance

Starting out: A pair of 30 cm stainless locking tongs.